Night Wedding Makeup

You deserve to look good on your big day. If you are considering an evening ceremony, it is essential that you know how to apply night wedding makeup. It could mean the difference between wedding photographs you want to hide and those you want to show off.

Wedding Makeup

Next to the dress and hair, makeup is a huge concern for any bride on her wedding day. No bride-to-be wants to look under or overdone on one of the most momentous days of her life. For this reason, many women don't want to risk applying their own makeup on their wedding day. After all, wedding makeup can make or break a bride's overall appearance.

This reasoning helps to explain why many brides choose to leave the job up to a makeup artist. If you plan to do so it's important to consult with your makeup expert prior to your wedding day to strategize about ways to look your best, especially for all the photos that will be taken before, during, and after the ceremony.

Night and Day

During your consultation, it is vital that you tell the makeup artist whether you are planning to have a night wedding. There is a major difference in the types of makeup used for a night wedding versus one that takes place in the morning or afternoon.

Tips for Applying Night Wedding Makeup

A bride wants to look stunning in person while she exchanges vows with her beloved, but she also needs to look fabulous for wedding pictures. When you are getting married at night, properly applied makeup will help you achieve both goals.

The following tips will help you appear breathtakingly beautiful in your night wedding makeup:

Face

When doing makeup for an evening wedding, most makeup artists recommend that you select either your lips or your eyes as the focus. While heavier eye makeup or dark lipstick is advisable, heavy face makeup is not.

Foundation: Resist the temptation to cake on too much product. Instead, evenly blend lightweight foundation with yellow undertones. This type of foundation looks best in artificial light and with flash photography. It is also a good idea to choose a nighttime foundation that will stay put from the beginning of the ceremony to the very last moments of the reception. Look for something with a matte finish and a long-wearing formula. Add a light dusting of translucent powder to prevent unwanted shine.

Contouring and Highlighting: To make sure you look your best in all wedding photos, don't forget about highlight and contour. Just remember: there is a difference between daytime and evening application. If you want to look flawless at night, go four shades lighter with highlight and four shades darker with contouring products. This will ensure that your ultra-defined look is visible even in areas with low lighting.

Blush and Bronzer: If you feel like you need more on your face, then apply a bit of blush. Always make sure you pay attention to your skin tone before reaching for a color. For instance, pale skin looks wonderful with a bit of baby pink or peach, medium-toned skin benefits from warm colors like apricot and mauve, and darker skin shines with raisin or tangerine-colored blush. Something else to keep in mind? If you have extremely fair skin, you might want to apply a bronzing powder to add warmth and give the skin a natural-looking glow.

Eyes

Light eye makeup won't cut it for a night wedding. Rather, you will need something that is bold and will stand out under the stars.

Eyeliner: Consider going with a smoky eye with shimmery gray eyeliner. With this look, the softer you go, the better; you can accomplish this by smudging the eyeliner for a smoky effect. When applying the first layer of liner, get it as close to the lash line as possible, and then you can draw wider and thicker lines on top of it.

Eyelashes: If you really want to make a statement with your makeup on your wedding day, then add a couple of individual false lashes to the outer corners of your upper lash line. Next, apply multiple coats of black mascara, paying close attention to the longest lashes at the outer corners of your eyes for a sultry look.

Lips

There are various options when it comes to your night lip color.

If you decide to create dark, defined eyes with your night wedding makeup, then it's a good idea to go for a lighter lip shade. Use a lip liner that's the same shade as your lipstick to avoid a noticeably dark lip line.

If you think your lips look too understated, then pump them up a notch by applying a bit of gold gloss. A tiny bit of gold gloss blended in well will make even the most demure lipstick sparkle.

Other nighttime lip color options to consider include warmer shades like brick red, burnt sienna, and plum. These darker shades are a good choice if you want to make your lips the focal point of your look rather than the eyes.

More Tips

Despite the lack of sun at a night wedding, don't be fooled into thinking that you will make it through the ceremony and reception without perspiring. The constant activity mixed with artificial lights is bound to make any bride break a sweat. To avoid appearing too shiny, remember to have some blotting papers on hand.

Another way to avoid looking too shiny in your wedding photos is to apply a light coat of powder between the ceremony and the reception. However, don't add too much. Just a small amount of extra powder is needed to avoid to keep you looking beautiful the entire night through.

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